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Civil defence drill in Bengaluru today: Everything you need to know

As part of the nationwide civil defence drills planned for today, Karnataka will conduct the exercise across three districts — Bengaluru urban, Karwar, and Raichur, said Prashant Kumar Thakur, Director General for Fire and Emergency Services and Civil Defence, Karnataka. India conducted retaliatory action against the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, hitting nine targets, in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack. Bengaluru city has been chosen due to its population density as well as the fact that it is home to a large number of big tech firms and public sector undertakings (PSUs). Uttara Kannada's Karwar has been selected due to the presence of the Kaiga nuclear power plant, while Raichur will undergo the mock drills due to the presence of the KPCL Raichur thermal power plant. What is a civil defence drill? Civil defence drills are designed to simulate real-life emergency situations such as industrial fires, bomb threats, natural disasters, or air attacks, and test the response times of local agencies. The aim is to check preparedness of all the states and Union Territories in case of an emergency and plug gaps wherever necessary. Why is the mock drill happening? Following the Pahalgam attack, India has imposed various diplomatic measures and conducted multiple military drills. Meanwhile, Pakistan military said that it has test fired two missiles, even as its troops have been violating ceasefire protocols along the Line of Control for 12 consecutive days now. In its letter to various states and UTs, the Directorate General Fire Service, Civil Defence and Home Guards said, "In the current geo-political scenario, new and complex threats/challenges have emerged, hence, it would be prudent that optimum civil defence preparedness in the states/UTs is maintained at all times." What's going to happen? Today's drill will include the following measures: Testing of air raid warning systems. Functionality checks of main and shadow control rooms. Civilian and student training on defence protocols. Simulation of crash blackouts. Camouflaging of critical infrastructure. Activation drills for firefighters and rescue teams. Evacuation rehearsals. Who needs to participate?